Ray Tolley

Published 4:23 pm Thursday, May 9, 2019

Ray Tolley, 97, of Hampton, passed away on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, at Hermitage Health Center after a lengthy illness. He was born May 25, 1921 in Hampton to the late Eli and Minnie Byrd Tolley.
Ray was retired from the Carter County Highway Department. He loved to work in his garden and sit on the porch and chew his tobacco. He was of the Free Will Baptist Faith.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Josephine Bise Tolley; two sisters, Lurla Bailey and Nellie Tolley; and seven brothers, Lloyd, Lewis, George, Lawrence, Roy, Robert and Blake Tolley.
Those left to cherish his memory and love include a son, David Ray Tolley and Gay; his grandchildren, David Allen and Kelli, Jamie and Mary, Jeff and Becky and Emillie and Kyle; his great-grandchildren, Kourtney, Kaci, Julie, Dylan, Jackson, Olivia and Raymond, Sam, Brandon, Bobby, Hesper and Natalie; his great-great-grandchildren, Hunter and Eli; one brother, Don and Anna Tolley; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Ray Tolley will be conducted at 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, at Memorial Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Dallas Gregg, the Rev. Henry Berry and the Rev. Jerry Cannon officiating. Music will be provided by the Rev. Ronnie Campbell. The graveside service and interment will be at noon Saturday, May 11, in the Tolley Cemetery. Active pallbearers, who are requested to assemble at the funeral home at 11 a.m. Saturday, will be Mike Mullins, Shane Clawson, Joe Tolley, Tim Hayes, Jackson Hayes, Charlie Arnette, Mike Smith and Sam Gibbs. Honorary pallbearers will be John L. McKinney, Burnie Hill, Larry Tolley, Ed Simerly, Arden Kuhn, Joel Rose, Barney McKinney, Jody Combs, Jerry Bowers, Kathy Clawson, Mike Street, Keith Kent, Roy Tolley and his great friend and neighbor, Francis Holland. The family would like to express a special “Thank You” to all the staff at Hermitage Health Center for all the love and care shown to Ray “Pappy” Tolley. May God bless all the CNAs, nurses, housekeepers, cooks, office workers and doctors. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Friends may also visit with the family at his residence. Family and friends will assemble at the funeral home at 11 a.m. Saturday to go to the cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at our website at www.memorialfcelizabethton.com.
Memorial Funeral Chapel is serving the Tolley family.